Portable support device



May 14, 1929. w, cums 1,713,116

PORTABLE SUPPORT DEVICE Filed Dec. 31, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet l i May 14, 1929. P. w. CURTIS PORTABLE SUPPORT DEVICE Filed Dec. 31, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 avwenlio'a PHUL W CURTIS P May 14, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT orator.

PAUL OI 'DALL AS, AISIGIOB my anvro: comm, OI

. DALLAS, arms, A OOBPQI-L'I'IOI.

ronrmusurroar nxvrca.

Application Med December 81, 10a. mm Io. 158,879.

This invention relates to portable support devices, and especially to support frames for attachment to various articles, and more especially to various kinds of shallow receptacles such as serving-tra s, and to which they ma be fixed detachab y or permanently as may desired.

I have disclosed in this inventiona structure which is very suitable for supporting an article upon the up r edge of a vertical wall such as the door can automobile, though it is by no means limited to such use. It has long been considered an advantage to provide a device for meeting these conditions, and include therein as one of its features a member which may be adjustable upon the supporting frame for bracing the latter adjustably against the wall upon which it will rest when in operation, so that it may vary the angle of inclination to such wall and yet make very positive the position of the frame and at the same time make feasible the convenient and practicable stacking of a lar e number of such frames in a vertical pi e,

' when not in use.

It is a further object of m invention to provide an especially strong race member, though li ht in weight, for adjustable positioning o? the receptacle or other article on said Wall, and especially strengthening said brace member by making the same of integral metal strips extending lengthwise of the member and at an angle to each other.

With these and other objects of my invention contemplated in this disclosure, I have described in detail the structure found most practicable, in the specification hereunto attached, recited in the appended claims,.and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a view in perspective, of a frame structure designed for detachable connection with an article to be supported upon a vertical wall;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of such fram and a receptacle held therein; p

Figure 3 is a side elevation of a plurality of such frames and trays stacked in vertical alinement;

Figure 4 is a rear elevation of the structure shown in Fig. 2;

Figure 5 is a perspective of a brace member, and Figure 6 a sleeve member designed to be attached to the brace member of Fig. 5,;

Figure '7 is a perspective view of the attached sleeve and brace members together re 8 is an inverted plan view of my detac able frame structure shown applied to the bottom of a receptacle;

Figure 9 shows a perspective view of brace and head connection designed to serve as a modification of the form of structure shown i g.

Frgpre 10 mem r of the form in Fig. 9, a portion of the member being shown in dotted lines in collapsed position, but in full lines in operative position;

Figure 11 is a transverse sectional view of the hollow bar of Figs. 9 and 10, on the line 11-11 of Fig. 9;

Figure 12 is a similar section taken on the line 1212 of Fig. 9;

Figures 13 and 14 are detail views in perspective, of a modified form of the adjusting sleeve and the brace member, respectively;

.Flgures 15, 16 and 17 are views of still another form of the sleeve and brace member, 15 being a. perspective 16 a transverse section in operative, and 1% such section in collapsed positionof the parts;

Figure 18 is an inverted plan view of the frame structure and attached parts, the brace member being shown in collapsed position and latched in such position to the frame;

Figure 19 is a detail view of the latch and associated arts, on a greatly enlarged scale,

but of the orm shown in Fig. 18;

Figure 20 is a perspective view of the upper end of another form of brace member;

Figure 21 is a perspective view of the same form of brace member as that inFig. 20, but in full length, and also showing in dotted lines the bar used with this brace;

- Figure 22 is a perspective view of a detachable frame and adjustable brace member, there being but three engaging parts for the receptacle used in this form, but otherwise being quite similar to the form shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and

Figure 23 is an inverted plan view of a frame designed to be secured permanently to the bottom of the receptacle on which it is to be used, the brace member bein ad'usted on the brace bar as in the detacha 1e orms. In the drawings,an article, illustrated as is a detail view of the brace an open receptacle 5, is to be supported detachably on the upper edge of a wall or other plate at an angle ,to the horizontal, and designated in Fig. 2 in dotted lines as a vertical wall, such as a vehicle wall 6 as of a door. The receptacle may well be one for serving refreshments to guests, and is shown in Figs. 2, 3, 4, 8 and 23, as a tray In Fi 1 to 22, inclusive, the frame is detac iable from the receptacle, and the frame 8 is shown in Figs. 1 to 4, 8 and 18, as provided with two pairs of spaced flexible hooks 9 for engaging the beads 10 of the upper edge of the trays.

The hook members 9 are supported on spaced and bent ends 11 of bars 12, the latter being held in spaced position from each other b spaced bars 13 at right angles to 12 and or inarily riveted or otherwise attached thereto. The lower ends 14 of the hooks 9 are bent slightly outwardly from the main portion to be in substantial parallelism with the bent ends 11 of 12. The upper ends of the hooks 9 are curved and bent inwardly somewhat, as at 15, to serve as a convenient attaching means for engagement with the beads 10. These hooks 9 are designed to engage the tra edge positively, but are sufiiciently flexi is to yield outwardly enough to make ready detachable engagement with the tray to be engaged or disengaged therefrom.

Attached to the lower faces of the bars 13, as shown in Figs. 1 to 4, 8 and 18, is a hollow bar 16 intermediate the bars 12. This bar 16 is ordinarily made from sheet metal whose edges are bent over into opposing osition but not quite meeting each other leavlng a space therebetween resulting in a slot 17 extending almost the entire length of the bar 16. In Figs. 1 to 4 and 8, the slot faces upward adjacent the bottom surface of the receptacle 5, but in Fig. 18, it faces downward for another reason. This construction of the clamping bar 16 as shown in these views, enables the manufacturer to make use of sheet metal for his purpose and at the same time provide a relatively thick finished bar, a desideratum of great value, as will be seen in later consideration of details of construction.

I make use of a very positive clamping action of bar 16 by means of a lever clamp 18 shown in Figs. 1 to 5, 7, 8, 14, 22 and 23. In such construction, the lever clamp is formed of the lateral-flanged bar type, with the upper end hinged to a sliding sleeve enclosing the stationary bar 16 or its equivalent. In Fig. 6, is shown a typical form of such sleeve 19, in which a main flat portion 20 is provided, usually of sheet metal, and lateral flanges are bent in parallelism finall resulting in four spaced portions, two of t em 21 being apertured at 22 to receive a pin therethrough and the other two 23 bent towards each other at 24 to form an effective enclosin collar within which the bar 16 may be he d in adjustment.

The side flanges of the lever 18 may well be widened at 25 where the upper end of the part 18 is pivoted to the sleeve 19, the

flanges 25 being also apertured at 26 to aline with the apertures 22 of the sleeve, and a pin 27 may then be inserted throu h the several apertures of the parts where y the lever 18 is not only mounted hin edly tion on the cross bar 16.

One pair of the ends 14 of the hook members 9 normally enga es the upper edge of a vertical wall, as 6, w ile the receptacle is to be detachably mounted on said wall, the toe 30 of the lever 18 engaging the wall surface beneath the receptacle, and at a point that will enable the lever 18 to act efficiently as a brace member to retain the receptacle 5 in an approximately horizontal position. Evidentl the sleeve member 19 may be readily ad usted lengthwise of the bar 16 to make certain the proper position of the edge 28 in clamping the bar itself 'ust at the rear of the sleeve. This clamp- 1ng mechanism may therefore accommodate itself to walls of different thickness, of slightly var ing surface shape, and even to walls of di erent angular position, the position of the sleeve 19 on the bar 16 determining the final position of the receptacle 5 on the wall.

In the form shown in Figs. 13 and 14, the sleeve 19 has the parts 20, 23 and 24 like those of the sleeve 19, but instead of the flange members 21 of the first form with the apertures 22 therein, 19 is provided with longer flange members 21 having near their ends inwardly-bent circular portions 31 that resemble cup parts without apertures therein, and which are adapted to engage similar cup-shaped sockets 32 in the upper portions of the lateral flanges 25* of the modified lever 18, and thereby pivot the lever upon the sleeve of this modified form without a pin construction. The parts 28 and 29 of this lever are substantially like the corresponding structure of the first form.

In Figs. 9, 10, 11 and 12, is shown a still different form of clamp structure involving changes in the lever and sleeve parts only, and which will now be described. For the clamping bar 16 is substituted another hollow bar 33 formed of sheet material whose edges are not bent directly toward each othor, as in the first form, but laterally fora small distanceand then downwardat 34 in an oblique direction until the M1: 35 are almost in contact leaving asm slot 36 .therebetween, as shown very clearly in Figs.

structure,

9 and 11. In this form of clam the relation. of the sleeve and ever arts, shown in Fi 7, to the clamping bar 6, as one having e sleeve 19 slidlngoutside' the bar 16; is reversed. In this modified form in Fi 9-to 12', the lever part 37 is solid, and provi i ed with a solid flat head 38 designed to slide within the hollow bar 33 rather than outside, and for purposes of latching the parts in adjusted position, the part 37 is pivoted to the lower flange 39 extending 1ntegrally from the head 38, the ivot'40 being longitudinal of the head. his permits the lower extent of the lever 37. to be swung laterally on said hinge 40 under certain conditions. The edges 35 of the bar 33 extend normally down somewhat below the hinge 40, and thereby revent the pivoting of t e lever 37 while t e head 38 may be moved lengthwise of the bar 33. But for a limited distance, one of the bent edges 34 is cut away, as shown at 41 in Figs. 9, 10 and 12, to permit the rockin of the lever laterally into said space 41 and thereby lock the head in a ositive position and also permit folding the lever for purposes of readily stacking the receptacles in the manner shown in Fig. 3. The ends of this bar 33 may be attached to the frame bars 13 just as in the other form formerly described.

In Fi s. 15, 16 and 17, anotherform is shown, t e clamp bar 42 is substantially circular in cross section, has a slot 43 therein and the latter provided with a cut-out portion 44 to permit rocking laterally of the lever 45 whose cylindrical head 46 is inte gral with the lever 45, there being no need of pivoting of the parts when the parts are circular as shown.

The bar 42 may be attached at its ends to the bars 13 of a frame, just as shown in Fig. 18, and the lever 45 may be latched in its lateral position for stacking the receptacles, by providing sprin latches 47 fastened to one of the frame ars 12 with the loose end 48 of the latch permitting the farther end 49 of the lever to sli into said latch, in the position shown in E i Figs. 18, 19 and 21, the clamping lever is illustrated as having a tip of some yielding .material such as rubber for engaging the surface of the supporting wall on ich the structure is to be used, said tip is marked 50 in these views, but it is to be understood thatany one of these levers may be provided with said tips.

It is generally uite advantageous to pro vide the side of t e frame nearest the wall edge with two engaging hooks having the same number of standards 14, but the opg. 19. In.

posite side of the frame may well be provided with but onesuch book, which form is shown in Fig. 22 of the drawings where a single. hook 51 iscarried by one side of the frame.

The frames thus far described are shown as being detachable from the receptacle, but in Fig. 23 I have shown a frame secured fixedly to the bottom of the receptacle. Here, parallel bars 52 are secured at their ends to the tray bottom by means of an angle strip at each end, so that said strip has a downwardly-bent foot 53 for supporting the tray on a horizontal suface when necessary. The clamping bar 54 in this form is attached to the bars 52. The lever and sleeve is mounted upon the bar 54 just as in the manner shown in Fig. 8.

It is not essential that a lever and a slidin member for the clampin vi ed in separate parts, and have shown in Figs. 20 and 21 a combined lever and adjustable clamp member which is ada ted to fit adjustably the clamping bar 55. he lever 56 is hollow has a reduced outer end 57 for enga ing the wall, and has integral with it at t e upper end, a clamp member 58 extendin at right angles from the main lever 56. The said member 58 has a rear shoulder 59, and a raised cross bar 60 forward of the said shoulder and spaced therebar be pro! from, said clamp member 58 comprising side plates 61 integral with the side plates 62 of the lever 56 and forming together an- L- shape plate on either side of the member 58. The bar 60is integral with the said side plates 61 but is spaced from said shoulder 59 leaving an opening 63 therebetween rectangular in shape to receive therein the said bar 55 upon which the combined lever and clamp member is mounted.

The lever 56 has a plate 64 serving as a back strip integral with the side strips 62 and extending upward to the shoulder strip 59 and downward to the lowermost tip of 57. The side strips 62 have their forward orward integral plate extending over the major part of the length of the lever 56 only leaving an open space at the upper end thereof, as shown in Fig. 21. This front plate 65 is provided with a T-shaped slot 66 therein which, when the lever 56 is lifted upward into inoperative position adjacent the bar 55, will register normall with an elongated button 67 mounted on t e lower surface of 55 by means of a stem 68. When the button 67 has entered the slot 66, a sliding movement of the lever on the bar 55 will clearly lock the lever in raised position, thus providing for folding the levers of this form pre aratory to stacking a series of the trays, as s own in Fig.3.

The bar 55 of Fig. 21 is shown as flat and other forms in cross section, just so the same is adapted to be inserted in the openin 63 of'the lever 56.

he various forms for mounting a receptacle upon a narrow supporting edge of a wall are somewhat different as to structural details, but have a generic structure and function, that of combining a frame of metal bars attachable to a receptacle with a lever structure provided with means for engaging one of the cross bars of said frame and providing for ready adjustment of the lever element on the cross bar. Applicant is believed to be the real inventor of this structure.

While the tips 50 are shown in the drawings as applied only to the ends of a lever, it is to be understood that such protective means may be ap lied to the lower end of any part of the illustrated mechanism, as for example to the legs 14 or any other supportin part of my device.

No imitation is intended as to the particular shape of the receptacle to which my support device is to be applied, other than that it is to be provided with some peripheral rim part 10 usuall shaped from the material used for the ottom plate, ordinarily by stamping. But what I do claim and desire to secure b Letters Patent is 1. In a device of tie class described, a receptacle support frame, a cross bar noncircular in cross section included therein, a sleeve member fitting said-bar and slidable lengthwise thereof, and a swinging leg member pivoted at one end thereof to said sleeve member for movement from and toward the latter, whereby the leg member may be thrown downward from said frame into active position and folded upward on said pivots to a. position approximately parallel with the bottom of a receptacle for readily stacking a plurality of receptacles one upon another.

2. In a device of the class described, receptacle support frame including therein parallel spaced bars connected with a receptacle and a hollow cross bar attached at its ends to said spaced bars, a sleeve member slidable on said cross bar telescopically therewith and including downwardly extending spaced ears thereon, the bar and sleeve being non-circular in cross section,

a brace member pivoted to said ears for movement in a plane substantially at right angles to said receptacle bottom, a portion of said brace memberextending rearwardly of said sleeve beyond the rear edge of the sleeve so that said extending portion will clam the said hollow bar when force is applled to the lower end of the brace member in a direction to lower the same on its pivot.

3. In a support device for race tacles, a frame connected with said receptac e and including a cross bar'attached at its ends, the intermediate portion being free, a slidable sleeve member enclosing said cross bar and having downwardly extending spaced ears,

the sleeve member and cross bar being noncircular in cross section, a brace bar having parallel flange portions lengthwise of the main portion of the brace bar and said flanges pivoted to said ears, so that the upper edge of said main portion will contact said cross bar when the brace member swings downward by gravity, but will be released therefrom when the brace member is raised toward the said bar.

4. In a support device for holding receptacles upon the upper edge of a vertical wall, a rame comprising spaced bars having their ends connected b cross bars forming a parallelogram, sai ends being bent downward for a limited length, hook members connected to said bent ends in a vertical position, the upper ends of the hooks being bent inward to detachably engage the rim of a receptacle and the lower ends bent slightly outward to form standards for supporting the receptacle when the latter is to rest on a horizontal surface, an intermediate bar connected to said cross bars between said spaced bars, a slidable sleeve enclosing said intermediate bar and having downwardly extending spaced ears, the sleeve and intermediate bar being non-circular in cross section and a brace member having parallel flanges projecting from a flat portion lengthwise of the member, the flanges being pivoted at one end to said ears, so that lowering of the brace member will lock the same in fixed position on the intermediate bar, and lifting the brace member on its pivot will release the sleeve for sliding movement on the intermediate'bar.

5. In a device of the class described, a frame for detachably engaging a receptacle comprising a cross bar mounted underneath the receptacle, a sleeve member mounted on said bar and comprising a late bent angularly about an axis coinci ing with the axis of the bar, a portion of said plate having lateral edges extending in parallelism away from the receptacle to form pivot ears, the sleeve member and cross bar being noncircular in cross section and a brace member comprising an elongated metal plate having its lateral edges bent at right an les to the main portion thereof and pivote at one end to said ears whereby the brace member may be swun on said pivots toward or away from said ar.

6. In a support device for receptacles, a frame connected with said receptacle and including a hollow cross bar mounted upon its ends, a slidable sleeve member enclosing said cross bar and having downwardly extending ears, the sleeve member and cross bar being non-circular in cross section, a brace member comprising an elongated metal plate having its lateral edges each bent in parallelism at an angle to the main portion thereof to form flanges, the upper ends of said flanges being broadened to enable the portions of the latter farthest removed from the main portion to serve as pivotal portions for mounting the brace member, said portions being pivoted upon said ears, and the upper edge of said main portion of the plate extending rearwardly of the sleeve member so that it may engage the cross bar when the brace member is swung on its pivots away from the receptacle.

7. In a device of the class described, a receptacle support frame including parallel spaced bars mounted beneath the receptacle and a cross barjconnecting said spaced bars, a plurality of downwardly-directed extensions forming a fixed part of said spaced bars, and a swinging leg member comprising a brace portion and a sleeve portion, the latter mounted upon said cross bar for longitudinally slidable movement thereon, the sleeve and cross bar having means preventing relative rotation thereof, and the brace portion being pivoted upon under-hanging extensions of t e sleeve, and having a part extending hevond the outline of the sleeve to permit engagement with the cross bar, whereby the receptacle may be positioned on the upper edge of a vertical wall, and the latter clamped between the brace portion on one side and the said downwardly-directed extensions on the other.

8. In a device of the class described, a receptacle support frame including therein a hollow cross bar of non-circular cross section mounted underneath the receptacle and having a slot in its wall on its face nearest the receptacle and extending lengthwise of the bar, a sleeve member of a cross section fitting the said cross bar and having a longitudinal slot on its face farthest from the receptacle, and slidable upon the said cross bar, and a swinging leg member pivoted at one end to said sleeve member beneath and somewhat spaced from the said cross bar whereby the pivoted end of the member may clamp the bar when turned downwardly away from the receptacle, but be freed from said clamping action when the opposite end of the sleeve member is raised toward the receptacle.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 15th day of December, 1926.

PAUL W. CURTIS. 

